Looks like you could paddle through the Suwannee River Sill, but it’s not clear how far you would get through the Narrows below Stephen C. Foster State Park Ramp before you got to the Sill.

Low water, first gate, Suwannee River Sill, Okefenokee Swamp, Thursday, November 20, 2025

Yesterday Shirley Kokidko checked on water levels in the Suwannee River in the Okefenokee Swamp. She says there is enough water to paddle to Billys Island or Minnies Lake.

Until we get some rain to break this drought, paddling from SCFSP to Griffis Fish Camp will be doubtful.

Here is a video Shirley sent from the First Gate at the Suwannee River Sill, the 4.5-mile-long earthen dam that was supposed to keep water levels up in the Okefenokee Swamp to prevent fires, but did not work.

https://www.facebook.com/Wwalswatershed/videos/854041060433085

https://youtu.be/xrNMTGZtws0

As you can see the gates are open, as they have been since around 2001. I have confirmed with the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge that keeping the gates open is a policy. The gates have not been closed in more than two decades.

So the very low water downstream at Fargo Ramp is due to the drought.
https://wwals.net/?p=68851

Sorry, Floridians. Nobody is messing with opening or closing the Gates at the Sill.

Here are a few more stills from yesterday.

Movie: First gate, Suwannee River Sill (5.6M), 2025-11-15 –Shirley Kokidko for WWALS

Where we usually paddle through the first gate, 2025-11-15 –Shirley Kokidko for WWALS

Wide view, 2025-11-15 –Shirley Kokidko for WWALS

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

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